Ukrainian military pilot held by Russia has alibi - lawyers

[uhnope]

Source: REUTERS

Lawyers for a Ukrainian military pilot held in Russia on charges of murdering two Russian journalists in east Ukraine said on Tuesday they could prove she was already captive when they died in shelling, but doubted a court would heed their arguments.

Preliminary hearings in the case of Nadia Savchenko, 34, who has become a symbol of resistance in Ukraine to Russian support for separatists in the east, are scheduled for Thursday in the Rostov region in southern Russia.

Savchenko's lawyer, Ilya Novikov, told a briefing in Kiev he had phone billing data showing that she was already the prisoner of pro-Russian rebels when the journalists were killed. Savchenko is accused of guiding artillery fire down onto identified targets, in this case the location of the journalists.

"According to the billing of Savchenko's two telephones, the first telephone was registered at the centre of Luhansk at 10.44 hrs," Novikov said. The position of the second phone was at a rebel base and registered at 11.04 hrs, he added.



Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/07/28/uk-ukraine-crisis-savchenko-idUKKCN0Q21OK20150728

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She's a badass. Putin wants to make an example of her, to demoralize the Ukrainians as Russia occupies their country.

[geek tragedy]

1. this is the country that gave us the word "Potemkin" nt

[uhnope]

2. and "gulag" nt

[blackspade]

3. This sounds like a violation of international law....

Not that Pooty Poot gives a crap.

[happyslug]

4. Russia has no death penalty, but she was a member of group known to violate the "Rules of War".

Putin is NOT dumb enough to arrange for her to die, thus she is looking at being convicted and serving 35 years in jail (the Max sentence for Murder in Russia).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadiya_Savchenko

The charge of Murder is based on an accusation that as she phoned in and directed Mortar fire where two unarmed Russian Journalists were under cover AND SHE KNEW THEM TO BE UNARMED AND JOURNALISTS. As a result of the Mortar fire, both Journalist died, thus the charge of murder.

Now, she is a pilot, but was operating as foot soldier with the far right wing Aidar Battalion at the time of her capture.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aidar_Battalion

The Aidar Battalion does NOT have a good reputation:

Members of the Aidar territorial defence battalion, operating in the north
Luhansk region, have been involved in widespread abuses, including
abductions, unlawful detention, ill-treatment, theft, extortion, and possible
executions.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/EUR50/040/2014/en/

http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/news-item/ukraine-must-stop-ongoing-abuses-and-war-crimes-by-pro-ukrainian-volunteer-forces

http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/news-item/eastern-ukraine-humanitarian-disaster-looms-as-food-aid-blocked

http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/news-item/ukraine-mounting-evidence-of-war-crimes-and-russian-involvement

[7962]

5. She still looks pretty defiant. nt

[daleo]

6. If convicted she could be sent to Guantanamo

Oops, wrong country.